Monarch 612 Lathe Repairs: Trying to Fix the Rapid Traverse - Partial Success...

I like the "while we're at it, might as well" philosophy....It has saved me so much time in the long run.

Whenever I do a repair job on something like that I'll get the whole thing tore apart only to find out it was super easy and I didn't have to tear it apart in the first place.

"Something went right, I was not expecting that at all". This man has had some life experience!. Great content and best to you.

I'm very surprised Monarch used Cogswell cogs instead of the higher quality Spacely sprockets lol..

I see a lot more cap head screws on the larger panel that the pump access panel bolts onto. I’m thinking that unscrewing all those will open another can of worms that takes hours to get back together. But if you do we’ll have hours more of Vintage Machinery videos to enjoy! Thanks, Keith!

Holy cats! Just seeing that looong line of parts on the drawing of that shaft was enough to make me glad it's not me working on this! I had to completely disassemble the apron on my much less complex 10 inch Logan lathe, and was pretty proud to get it all cleaned, repaired (I made my own bushing for a place that needed one but had not originally had one), adjusted, and working. I had never worked on one before, and it's my first lathe. But it was nothing compared to this beast! This was a big success, getting the shaft to turn again. I hope the lubrication system is working again as a result. I'm looking forward to seeing that giant drum get pretty again.

Look in the dictionary for the word "patience," and you'll see a picture of Keith sitting beside the Monarch lathe holding a chisel and flashlight.

I hope somebody can lend a hand on adjusting that clutch .... we are a country with people who have a can do get it done mentality from our Forefathers .... and you have helped so many .... you if any deserve a helping hand .... ❤❤❤🎉🎉😊😊😊 ....

Mr. Rucker it is good that you have a manual for your Monarch.

This is a great adventure to follow along with... all those pockets of surprise sludge! Looks like it could do with a flush.

I'm glad you did Tally Ho. I would have never found your channel. I'm happy I did. You do some very interesting machine repairs

Keith I seem to remember when you did some work on the slide that there was a issue with something being too tight and that you needed to adjust it. What I'm saying is maybe you just have too much resistance on the slide to begin with. Whatever it was is why the wheel seems to be kind of hard to turn. Maybe it's not the clutch.

It looks like someone might have taken the chain off rather than fixing the problem with the rapid traverse. They probably thought it was easier to eliminate the rapid traverse than to fix it. Corporate decisions! Thanks for sharing.

Two thoughts...first it seems like your carriage is really stiff by the amount of force it took for you to turn the hand wheel. That might be more of the issue than the clutch. Second, the adjustment nut per the diagram would be on the right hand side of the apron, not the left. A bonus third. Make sure everything gets some oil first. Since the pump hasn't been running and all sludged up, the shaft bushings and such could be really seized/stiff.

Ran into this on a couple of 612's that were not oiling. The carriage gib adjustment is critical. With clean ways that are fully coated with Vactra 2, the handwheel should move the carriage freely with your thumb and two fingers. Much tighter and the power traverse will overrun the detent ball safety. That is the chatter that it's making.There is no "clutch" as such. Just the balls and detent plate that act as a safety. The spring only acts to hold the dogs under pressure until they engage. I suspect the oil passages have long stopped up with sludge. The excess friction is probable why the chain failed. Unfortunately the apron will need to come off and be cleaned. You can also expect the oil passages in the carriage to be clogged as well. I've had zero success trying to clean these passages without removing both the carriage and apron. The only adjustment is the slotted head screw in the center of each traverse lever mechanism. Your manual will show the proper adjustment for these. I would suggest cleaning the gearbox that drives the chain as well. If you need this machine daily, I would suggest obtaining a new dog ring and possibly the balls, detent plate, spring, rack gear and pinion as well and in advance. These are all commonly worn on machines that haven't been maintained or that have not been in regular operation and the oils have broken down and sludged up. Best of luck Keith. P.S. This is a very time consuming job, but extremely rewarding when you feel how smooth it runs when well oiled and adjusted.

How frustrating! Keep your chin up, Keith.

Best bet is to call Monarch, they are really helpful and know these machines inside and out. Since the oil pump hasn't been functioning lack of oil on the way surfaces could be contributing to the clutch slipping. With all that sludge in the apron the Bijur metering units are likely plugged too so those should really be replaced and the passages/lines flushed. My Monarch knowledge is based on 10EE's but this oiling system looks like the exact same concept just larger. If the rapids get fixed but the oil system isn't flushed, fixed, and tested then this machine will really wear itself out.

I believe by the appearance of the inside of the apron that a complete disassembly, evaluation and cleaning should be done. Just did this for my clausing Colchester lathe. It is amazing how much crud accumulated in my lathe apron bought new 40 years ago with few hours and oil changes was present. One has to wonder if the chain was damaged by something broken in the apron gear train. So adjusting the clutch without confirming that mechanically everything is operational may be a big mistake.

Another fun one to watch. I agree with some of the other commentors that the apron needs to come apart and get cleaned and adjusted, that sludge would have me worried. Anyways Keith thanks for taking the time to bring us along.

Mechanics wire hooked to the chain to make a "needle" to help guide the chain through tough spots like that has helped me through the years.